Parents, teachers speak out for Perrymont

Some came with points and counterpoints. Others came with tears.

More than 45 people spoke against the closure of Perrymont Elementary School on Monday evening during a nearly three-hour meeting with Lynchburg City Schools Superintendent Paul McKendrick and five school board members.

McKendrick called the meeting to listen to community opinions about his recommendation to close Perrymont as a K-5 school and make the building a pre-K center.

There were about 210 parents, teachers and community members at the event, with more students sitting on laps and playing in the aisles. Signs made by students hung around the cafeteria, in the school and on telephone polls.

“This seems like more of an eviction than a closing,” teacher David Vest said.

Many who spoke defended Perrymont’s academic effectiveness.

Previously, McKendrick had said that Perrymont’s failure to meet federal benchmarks was one of the contributing factors in his decision to recommend its closure as an elementary school. Under the federal requirements, the division must allow parents of children zoned for Perrymont the option to send their children to other eligible schools in the division this year and next.

But teachers and parents pointed to Perrymont’s status as a fully accredited school with the state of Virginia and spoke of higher-than division average scores on six-weeks tests. Teachers said that the state had provided positive feedback about the school’s improvement plans.

Others questioned the wisdom and cost effectiveness of McKendrick’s plan to close the Hutcherson Early Learning Center building, bringing pre-K students from Hutcherson and other schools to Perrymont while sending Perrymont students to several different schools. It would also involve a division-wide redistricting.

Another speaker suggested it might be wiser to wait until the Census comes out before making redistricting decisions.

An often-mentioned point was about the time and financial costs of busing elementary and pre-K students.

“These are at-risk children … It isn’t right to take these students and put them in a citywide pre-K program,” said Perrymont pre-K teacher Maureen Sheedy-Morris.

Most speakers pointed to a sense of pride, community and tradition at the school.

Parent and school PTO president Sarah Brasher said she chose to send her child to Perrymont rather than home school because as soon as she visited the school, she felt it was a good place for her children. Other parents stressed that they had rejected the school choice options to stay at Perrymont and said they tell their friends that their children go to a great school.

Students also spoke to a love of the school and a concern for teachers who might lose jobs.

“I’ve had students say they want to come back and teach with me,” said Vest, who also went to Perrymont as a child. “Do we want to destroy the dream to come back?”

McKendrick is expected to make his official budget proposals to the board on March 16.